Driver ‘never saw the motorcycle’; rider injured, bike totaled

Numerous emergency responders including St. George Police Officer Dave McDaniel tend to the scene of a motorcycle vs. car crash at the corner of 600 South and 400 East Wednesday, St. George, Utah, May 10, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A motorcycle rider was thrown from his bike and injured after a driver pulled directly into his path Wednesday afternoon.

At approximately 3:30 p.m. officers and emergency personnel responded to a crash at the corner of 400 East and 600 South involving a white Hyundai passenger car and a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle, St. George Police Officer Dave McDaniel said.

Numerous emergency responders including St. George Police Officer Dave McDaniel tend to scene of motorcycle vs. car crash at the corner of 600 South and 400 East Wednesday, St. George, Utah, May 10, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Upon arrival officers found the rider, a man in his 20s, on the sidewalk and a motorcycle that was heavily damaged nearby.

EMS checked on the injured rider who was thrown from the bike on impact. He suffered road rash primarily on his leg from skidding on the asphalt.

After speaking with both drivers and witnesses officers determined that the Kawasaki was heading north on 400 East while the woman driving the Hyundai was at the stop sign on 600 South, McDaniel said.

The woman pulled out from the stop sign and directly into the path of the motorcycle.

“She said she didn’t see the motorcycle and pulled out right in front of him,” McDaniel said.

Seconds before impact the motorcyclist applied his brakes which reduced his speed. It was a quick reaction that possibly reduced the amount of injury he suffered, the officer added.

Numerous emergency responders tend to the scene of a motorcycle vs. car crash at the corner of 600 South and 400 East Wednesday, St. George, Utah, May 10, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

“Speed was not a factor in this one as the rider was going maybe 29 to 33 miles per hour at the point of impact,” McDaniel said, “based on the damage and the length of the skid marks on the roadway.”

The man, who was wearing a helmet, told officers he suffered minor injuries in the crash and declined transport to the hospital.

“That bike is totaled,” McDaniel said.

The St. George Police department, St. George Fire Department and Gold Cross Ambulance responded and tended to the scene.

Utah motorcycle crash facts

Last year in Utah, 280 people died in traffic accidents and 42 of those killed were involved in motorcycle crashes.

About half of all motorcycle crashes involve a collision with another vehicle and in most cases the driver turns in front of the motorcycle because the driver didn’t see it, or misjudged the bike’s distance and speed, the Utah Department of Public Safety states.

The department’s ‘Ride to Live Utah’ website offers safety tips, training class information, a video on “motion-induced blindness” and other resources that can enhance a rider’s safety.

“A crash involving a motorcycle and another vehicle can have very tragic consequences — the rider can easily sustain life-altering or fatal injuries. You can save a life by taking the time to look for motorcycles every time you get behind the wheel.”

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

Numerous emergency responders including St. George Police Officer Dave McDaniel tend to the scene of a motorcycle vs. car crash at the corner of 600 South and 400 East Wednesday, St. George, Utah, May 10, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Numerous emergency responders including St. George Police Officer Dave McDaniel tend to the scene of a motorcycle vs. car crash at the corner of 600 South and 400 East Wednesday, St. George, Utah, May 10, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

A Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle is totaled after being hit by a vehicle at the corner of 600 South and 400 East Wednesday, St. George, Utah, May 10, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Numerous emergency responders including St. George Police Officer Dave McDaniel tend to the scene of a motorcycle vs. car crash at the corner of 600 South and 400 East Wednesday, St. George, Utah, May 10, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

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About the Author

Cody Blowers was raised in South San Francisco, California. A 2013 graduate of Colorado Technical University, Cody earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in paralegal studies. Through the course of her academic studies she discovered that writing is her true passion, and she is committed to providing credible, integrated news coverage. Cody joined St. George News in 2015, and when she’s not busy chasing the news, she can generally be found chasing her young granddaughter, Kali.

6 Comments

I didn’t see you sir. Sorry. I didn’t notice that five hundred pound machine coming down the road with the headlight glaring at me. Again, sorry. Your incompetence and lack of paying attention to what is around you when you are behind the wheel could have easily cost him his life. Driver safety and awareness course for you should be mandatory.

hypothetically: if I ever considered getting into street riding again (which likely will never happen) I’d get one of these newer bikes with ABS. Grab that front brake as hard as you want and you won’t lose your front end and go down. ABS really is a magnificent thing and will save your life. Wish bikes had it “back in my day”– but also glad i never needed it 😉

DRT, thank you for your comment and question. We do normally include that type of information if we have it; however, I spoke with our reporter and she said that at the time of publication the investigation was still ongoing and that no citations had been issued yet.